An interactive surface provides an alternative mechanism for interacting with computer-implemented applications. A typical interactive surface includes a projection mechanism for displaying information on the interactive surface. The interactive surface also includes an input mechanism for detecting selections made by a user in the course of interacting with the interactive surface. For example, the interactive surface may detect when the user touches particular parts of the interactive surface. Through such interaction, the user may manipulate digital objects which are displayed by the interactive surface and perform other operations.
There remains ample room for improvement in interactive surface technology. For instance, the input mechanism provided by an interactive surface is sometimes cumbersome to use (because, for instance, users may have difficulty entering information or manipulating digital objects using this input mechanism). The input mechanism may also provide unsatisfactory precision and responsiveness.
Further, the interactive surface may potentially confuse users. This may be particularly a problem when multiple users engage the same interactive surface. In this scenario, the interactive surface can potentially become cluttered with multiple digital objects. Further, for a large interactive surface, it may become difficult for users to manipulate some digital objects that are beyond their reach.
Further, the interactive surface may fail to provide a collaborative environment which accommodates the manner in which users naturally interact in groups. For example, the collaborative environment may fail to provide a convenient mechanism for sharing information among participants of a meeting; the interactive surface may likewise fail to provide a suitable mechanism for collaboratively working on shared information.
There may be additional shortcomings of existing interactive surface technology.